Threaded Hammer Leathers

[chimeclockfan]

Working on this Kienzle wall clock and noticed something I've never seen on the others: threaded hammer leathers. They just screw in and out, leaving the rest of the brass hammer head devoid of any leather. Wish they were all like this, way easier than scooping bad leathers out.



Roughing up the hammer leathers with emery so they don't have such a gristly surface. Hard surfaced leathers do not work well on these French style box regulators, the chime acoustics get too tinny.



Still working on the clock but here's an older photo. It is really a practice piece to learn how to tune chime rods & getting used to the box regulator format. Began as a loose movement and now has the appropriate case. Looks like Walnut to me.

 

[Salsagev]

Ah, interesting! Does any of that leather need to be cleaned since some can get very dark?

 

[chimeclockfan]

It entirely depends on which clock we are working with. There is no one size fits all. I find the following gives most optimal results:

American or American style mantel chime - hardened leathers, providing a strident & dazzling sound these clocks are renowned for.
Acrylic superglue tends to do a good job at hardening leathers. I never heat them with flame because this can damage the hammer brass heads.

French box regulator chime - softer hammer leathers, giving a deep mellow sound which works in accordance with typical French gong units & cases.
The leathers may be reinforced with gel superglue if required, then roughed down with emery. If leathers are OK then no glue is needed. Do not harden.

British retailed mantel chime (Enfield, Haller, HAC, others) - hammer leathers reinforced with superglue gel but not hardened throughout, only strengthening the leather surface. Leaves a 'glossy' surface on leather heads but not so hard to the touch. Not a loud chime but pleasant nonetheless.

Too often we find clocks with the wrong or damaged leathers, the results are terrible. There are so many clocks showcased on the 'Tube with bad leathers, leaving a poorly impression of some clocks. To get a good chime we need good gongs, good hammers, good cases, and good movements.

 

[shutterbug]

If you put enough torque on a properly sized piece of leather, it will thread in and hold

 

[bikerclockguy]

Timesavers has a neat hammer leather thread cutting die set for $40. Just kidding . What Shutterbug said. You can see in the pic that the hammer barrels are threaded, which I haven’t seen before, but I like it! When you put the new leather in, the threads in the brass barrel will cut threads in the leather to hold it in place. 50 years later, when someone goes to replace them, the leather will have hardened, and after being compressed in the barrel, it will look like it was “factory threaded”